He told lawyer Porres Royan during cross examinination that he was also not given conditions on issuing statements after de facto Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction.

Porres: When you issued a statement to the press after the Sodomy 2 judgment was delivered, you agree that you were not exercising your duty and function as contained in the appointment letter (as fiat prosecutor in Sodomy 2)?

Shafee: Do not agree.

Porres: Was there any letter from the Attorney-General (AG) to give you consent to talk about Sodomy 2 right after coming out from the Federal Court?

Shafee: There is no need for authorisation (written). It was communicated between me and Abdul Gani Patail (then Attorney-General) through phone and email.

Porres was representing lawyer V. C. George in a lawsuit Shafee took out against the Bar Council, former president Christopher Leong, lawyer Tommy Thomas and George, for attempting to discuss his conduct — going on roadshows to talk about the conviction — at the Bar Council’s Annual General Meeting on 14 March last year.

Porres continued to press Shafee and asked him whether he was asked by others to explain.

Porres: Did the Judiciary or Parliment want you to explain?

Shafee: No.

Shafee told his lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin later, during re-examination, that the sole purpose of him speaking on Sodomy 2 after the judgment on 10 February last year — for example at the Kelana Jaya roadshow — was because he had to explain the “nitty gritty” details on the judgment so that “lay people” could understand the conviction. “It was also to demolish allegations that Sodomy 2 was persecution instead of prosecution,” he said.

The hearing continues on Wednesday before Justice Hanipah Farikullah.

Lawyer Tommy Thomas will be testifying.